Path of Exile 2: Crafting Guide

Crafting in Path of Exile 2 has been streamlined and made more accessible compared to its predecessor, without sacrificing the depth and complexity that players love. Whether you're new to the game or a seasoned veteran, understanding the crafting system will give you a significant edge in refining your gear and improving your builds.

This guide covers how crafting works in PoE2, the changes from PoE1, and a breakdown of the various crafting materials available.

Key Changes in Crafting from Path of Exile 1

Metacrafting Gone: One of the major changes is that metacrafting (modifying crafted items with additional crafting mods) has been removed. This significantly reduces complexity while making the process of crafting more direct.

Currency Orbs: Crafting in PoE2 revolves around currency orbs, Essences, and a new item type called Runes. These materials are used to upgrade and enhance gear, but the system is more simplified than the multiple systems in PoE1.

Essences: Essences now play a crucial role in crafting. They allow you to upgrade magic items into rare ones with guaranteed affix types. By using Essences strategically, you can force specific affixes onto your items.

Retired Mechanics: Harvest, Fossils, Catalysts, and Recombinators have all been retired. While these systems were beloved in PoE1, their removal means players must focus more on the core crafting materials for enhancing their gear.

Oils Return: Oils, a feature from PoE's Blight League, make a return in PoE2. These are used to anoint your amulets with passive skill tree notables, enhancing your build's potential.

How Crafting Works in Path of Exile 2

Crafting in PoE2 revolves around using a small pool of materials to modify and refine items. This process is about improving and enhancing your gear rather than creating it from scratch.

Currency Orbs

Currency Orbs are the foundation of crafting in PoE2. These consumable items are used to modify your gear by adding affixes (magical properties). Some of the most common orbs include:

Orb of Transmutation - Upgrades a common item to a magic item (1 prefix, 1 suffix).

Orb of Alchemy - Upgrades a magic item to a rare item (2 prefixes, 2 suffixes).

Orb of Chaos - Rerolls the affixes of a rare item.

Orb of Scouring - Removes all affixes from a rare item, returning it to a normal item.

Currency orbs are also a crucial part of the in-game economy. You'll often trade these PoE orbs with other players to acquire specific items or enhance your gear. Even if you don't need a certain type of orb, it could be valuable to others.

Essences

Essences are powerful crafting materials that allow you to influence your item's affixes. They guarantee at least one affix of a specific type, giving you more control over your crafting outcomes.

Essences of Magic - Apply to magic items to guarantee a specific affix (e.g., Life, Mana, Physical Damage).

Essences of Rare - Apply to magic items to upgrade them to rare and force a specific affix.

By combining two different Essences on an item, you can target two specific affixes, increasing your chances of getting an item tailored to your needs.

Runes

PoE2 introduces Runes, a new crafting system that provides moderate stat buffs. These can be inserted into your weapons and armor for bonuses that range from elemental resistances to damage boosts. Runes drop around Act 2, and while they don't drastically change an item's power, they are invaluable for fixing a build's weaknesses.

Runes are a versatile and portable way to tweak your gear on the fly. You can use them to fine-tune your items during both the campaign and the endgame.

Oils (Anointing)

Oils make a return in PoE2 from the Blight League in PoE1. These oils are used to anoint your Amulet and apply a notable passive skill from the skill tree. Only one anointment can be applied at a time, and the oils can be obtained through specific endgame league mechanics.

While the exact details of how oils are obtained in PoE2 are still under wraps, we expect that they will function similarly to how they did in PoE1—allowing you to add powerful passive bonuses to your amulet.

How to Upgrade Items

In PoE2, you begin with common gear, which has no affixes except for its implicit properties (e.g., elemental resistances on rings or free spells on caster weapons). To upgrade your item, follow these steps:

Upgrade the Item's Rarity:

Use Orb of Transmutation to upgrade a common item to a magic item.

Use Orb of Alchemy to upgrade a magic item to a rare item.

Roll Affixes:

Once your item is magic or rare, use currency orbs to reroll the affixes. This is where randomness comes into play, as the orbs will grant random prefixes and suffixes.

Refining with Essences:

To guarantee an affix, use Essences. This is a great way to target specific stats like life, mana, or damage, ensuring your item will have the affixes you need.

Add Runic Buffs:

If you want to further enhance your item, you can add Runes for moderate stat boosts, perfect for fine-tuning your gear.

Anoint with Oils:

Apply Oils to your amulet to gain access to powerful passive tree notables.

Advanced Crafting for Endgame

As you progress further into PoE2, the crafting system opens up, allowing you to create highly specialized gear. Here's a look at the advanced materials you'll likely encounter:

Essence Crafting will let you target specific affixes on your PoE items, improving your chances of rolling high-quality gear.

Runes will allow you to tweak your gear's stats for better synergy with your build.

Anointing Oils will continue to play an important role in acquiring specific passive skills that complement your build.

Conclusion

Crafting in Path of Exile 2 is a lot more accessible than it was in PoE1, but it still offers plenty of depth for players who want to fine-tune their gear. Understanding how to use PoE currency orbs, Essences, and Runes will be essential for success. Whether you're looking to upgrade gear early in the campaign or optimize your endgame setup, crafting remains a powerful tool in your journey through Wraeclast.